Hiring Postdoc and Postbac Researchers – In Vivo Electrophysiology in Behaving Rodents
Carmen Varela
We are looking for motivated researchers at various career stages to join the Varela lab at Florida State University to investigate the circuit-level mechanisms of learning and memory in rats. Our work combines cutting-edge electrophysiology recordings in freely behaving rats, closed-loop neural manipulations, optogenetics, and computational analysis. We welcome candidates from various backgrounds and experience levels, whether you're seeking a postdoc, postbac, or a PhD position.
Start dates are flexible. Experience with rodent behavior and electrophysiology is a plus. Interested candidates please send your curriculum and a brief description of your research interests and goals to c.va...@fsu.edu.
Lab background: Our ability to learn and remember shapes how we navigate the world. Every day, the brain forms new episodic memories that would be of limited use if they simply faded over time. Instead, the brain strengthens and integrates these memories through a process called consolidation, which helps abstract patterns and rules, connect experiences, and apply past knowledge to new situations (generalization). In our lab, we study the neural mechanisms that make learning and memory consolidation possible, focusing on how brain activity during sleep and wakefulness facilitates memory formation and integration to support cognitive behavior. Specifically, we investigate thalamocortical circuits, using state-of-the-art neuroscience approaches to uncover fundamental principles by which these circuits contribute to learning.
What you gain:
- Contribute to exciting and impactful projects to understand the role of higher-order thalamic circuits in learning and memory.
- Build expertise in state-of-the-art techniques in systems, behavioral, and computational neuroscience.
- Receive mentorship in a collaborative, supportive lab environment within a multidisciplinary department that bridges neuroscience and psychology.